Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Yaounde, Cameroon, March 17, for his first visit to Africa. (CNS/Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters)

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (CNS) — Arriving in Africa, Pope Benedict XVI said the church’s message of hope and reconciliation was sorely needed by a continent suffering disproportionately from poverty, conflict and disease.

At a welcoming ceremony March 17 in Yaounde, the pope said he was making his first visit to Africa to respond to the many men and woman who “long to hear a word of hope and comfort.”